how much can i tow

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According to the government web site, if your car weighs 1.5 tonnes, you can tow a caravan of 1.5 tonnes. Sort of makes a nonsense of the law IMO. What's safer and more controllable, a 1.5 tonne car with a 1.5 tonne caravan or a 2.2 tonne P38 with a 1.5 tonne caravan?
In any case, as the P38 weighs just under 2.2 tonnes, one could tow my Hobby caravan with a P38 which is plated at 1.3 tonnes on a post 97 licence. Not sure what the L322 weighs though so just pick the right caravan based on the L322 weight.

Car licences obtained on or after 1 January 1997
If you passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 you're limited to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass towing a trailer up to 750kgs, or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 3.5 tonnes MAM providing the MAM of the trailer doesn't exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. You will need to pass an additional driving test in B+E if you wish to tow a caravan or trailer combination which exceeds these weight limits.
 
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Datatek said:
According to the government web site, if your car weighs 1.5 tonnes, you can tow a caravan of 1.5 tonnes. Sort of makes a nonsense of the law IMO. What's safer and more controllable, a 1.5 tonne car with a 1.5 tonne caravan or a 2.2 tonne P38 with a 1.5 tonne caravan?
In any case, as the P38 weighs just under 2.2 tonnes, one could tow my Hobby caravan with a P38 which is plated at 1.3 tonnes on a post 97 licence. Not sure what the L322 weighs though so just pick the right caravan based on the L322 weight.

Car licences obtained on or after 1 January 1997
If you passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 you're limited to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass towing a trailer up to 750kgs, or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 3.5 tonnes MAM providing the MAM of the trailer doesn't exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. You will need to pass an additional driving test in B+E if you wish to tow a caravan or trailer combination which exceeds these weight limits.
Click to expand...
This page makes everything confuseing Towing trailers or caravans with vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes : Directgov - Motoring
but finding a trailer of use (or in this case caravan) which fits in the 3.5 MAM will be very difficult.
 
Datatek said:
According to the government web site, if your car weighs 1.5 tonnes, you can tow a caravan of 1.5 tonnes. Sort of makes a nonsense of the law IMO. What's safer and more controllable, a 1.5 tonne car with a 1.5 tonne caravan or a 2.2 tonne P38 with a 1.5 tonne caravan?
In any case, as the P38 weighs just under 2.2 tonnes, one could tow my Hobby caravan with a P38 which is plated at 1.3 tonnes on a post 97 licence. Not sure what the L322 weighs though so just pick the right caravan based on the L322 weight.

Car licences obtained on or after 1 January 1997
If you passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 you're limited to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass towing a trailer up to 750kgs, or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 3.5 tonnes MAM providing the MAM of the trailer doesn't exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. You will need to pass an additional driving test in B+E if you wish to tow a caravan or trailer combination which exceeds these weight limits.
Click to expand...

A question if you will, I tow a laden trailer (horsebox) not over 3.5 tonnes on a pre'97 license with the P38 which according to the handbook is the permissible limit for the car without extra entitlement. Is this correct?
 
goonarmy said:
This page makes everything confuseing Towing trailers or caravans with vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes : Directgov - Motoring
but finding a trailer of use (or in this case caravan) which fits in the 3.5 MAM will be very difficult.
Click to expand...

Loads of caravans around in the 1.1 to 1.25 tonne category in Europe if not in the UK.

For example:

•a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle

The police do not often check in the UK perhaps because the the UK interpretation of the Euro regs new category B licence and MAM as opposed to GVW is, as is often the case, confusing. The European interpretation is different as far as I can see, to tow anything over 750KG requires B + E. Very straightforward and caravaners are regularly stopped for checks.
 
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adamrharding said:
A question if you will, I tow a laden trailer (horsebox) not over 3.5 tonnes on a pre'97 license with the P38 which according to the handbook is the permissible limit for the car without extra entitlement. Is this correct?
Click to expand...
If yer passed yer test pre 97 then you have b+e entitlement.ANything with e on means ya can tow with it.
 
I passed around 96 97 , I cant remember when exactly , where on the license does it say?

And also WTF do they have to change stuff :doh:
 
fett said:
I passed around 96 97 , I cant remember when exactly , where on the license does it say?

And also WTF do they have to change stuff :doh:
Click to expand...

Because the EU says so. My lad has a removal business. He has two 3.5 ton vans he can drive those. He also has a 7.5 ton truck, he cannot drive that he has to employ a driver, but his missus who passed her test the year before he did can. He cannot legally drive it but is very capable of doing so. Yet his missus who can legally drive it is incapable of doing so. Ridiculous rules brought in for jobs for the boys training companies. If you can't learn how to drive an artic in a few of days you should never be allowed on the road in one, no matter how much training you get.
 
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These rules were brought in to harmonise the licenses in ALL of europe.

We made changes to accomodate them as well as most other eu countries.

If you look on the back of the plastic card then if it has a group BE then you can tow a trailer in excess of 750Kgs Maximum authorised weight. If it only has B then you cant.

Whilst in theory it is a simple matter of when you passed your test the DVLA do make mistakes and drop groups off. I had it happen to me when the track laying group dropped off, but then re-appeared at next renewal. ( wasnt likely to drive one so didnt bother)

The directGov Website gives all sorts of information, but all that matters is the driving licence groups. It does not matter if the vehicle combination is less than 3500kgs, if the trailer is over 750kgs and the driver dosn't have a BE group then he is in the SH*t. What that means is if the drawing vehicle is 3000kgs then the vehicle and trailer combination must not exceed 3500kgs.

The insurance company would also be interested as the policy always ends "provided the person holds or has held a licence for that class of vehicle"

At the end of the day do you feel lucky. I am retired Plod and knew exactly what to look for!!:D
 
Plus..don't knock the EU too much. It allowed the uk to keep the rule regarding how many passengers you can carry...over here, denmark, its max 7. however on my uk licence i can drive with up to 14 passengers...a 109 landy with seating for 12 is classed as a bus!
 
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